For The Best
by irishgirl9
Summary: Oneshot. An ex-girlfriend has been on Dean's mind lately. Will he visit her before his time is up?


**Disclaimer: **Sam, Dean and any other character you recognize belong to the wonderful Eric Kripke and the CW. The rest is a figment of my imagination.

* * *

Dean just stared at the screen in front of him. He was trying to wrap his head around the words on the screen in front of him. The accompanying picture seemed to sum it up.

Sam had gone out to pick up dinner at a diner a couple of miles away leaving Dean alone with his thoughts. Thoughts that had been drifting towards his ex lately. He had this wild idea of going to see her one last time. Now suddenly that didn't seem like such a good idea.

_Begin Article_

Mrs. Martin Robinson is please to announce the engagement of her daughter Cassie to Clayton 'CJ' Soames, Jr. CJ is the son of late Clayton Soames, Sr. and his wife Vera. Both Cassie and CJ are graduates of Cape Girardeau Senior High. The bride is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. She is managing editor of the Cape Girardeau Gazette. The groom is a graduate of Brown University with a bachelor's degree in business. He is a managing partner of Soames and Robinson Auto Group along with his brother.

The wedding is to be held the second Saturday in June.

_End Article_

Dean was now wishing he had been the one to go pick up dinner. She had been on his mind a lot lately. He had always planned on going back to see her one more time. He just never got around to it.

Cassie had been the only woman he had ever seen himself settling down with. Not that he was the picket fence kind if guy, but if he had ever entertained the thought, the wife he pictured standing in the doorway waving goodbye as he drove off to work was always Cassie.

It's probably for the best that she moved on reasoned Dean. Cassie was a wonderful person who deserved to have a great life. A life he knew he could never give her.

Maybe she's finally found what she's looking for with this CJ guy. Dean could only hope so because he wasn't going to go see to find out. He knew that he wouldn't be visiting he as much as he wanted to. It would be too cruel to show up on her doorstep saying Hi, I'm back. Oh by the way, I'll be dead in less than a year. No, that would be just plain cruel.

The sound of a key in the door brought Dean out of his thoughts. Sam was back with their dinner. Quickly closing out the web browser he hoped to shut off the computer before his brother saw him. No such luck.

"I got you extra onions just like you, hey you'd better not have been on busty Asians again Dean," said Sam with a slight edge to his voice. It took forever to fix his computer the last time.

"Relax Sammy, I was just checking tomorrow's weather. It looks like more rain," replied Dean.

oooooOOOOooooo

Sam couldn't help, but notice that his brother was quieter than usual during dinner and he didn't seem to have much of an appetite. When his brother headed to bed early he knew something was definitely up. There was a pool hall directly across the street from their motel. He thought for sure that Dean would have wanted to head over there and rustle up a game or two.

Opening up his laptop, Sam puzzled over what could be bothering his brother, well other than usual stuff like having less than a year to live. Curiosity got the better of him and he checked history on the web browser. He pulled up the last page that Dean had looked at.

"Oh man," said Sam softly as he read Cassie's engagement notice. Well this explains his brother's behavior. Despite his protests to the contrary, Sam knew Dean had loved her.

oooooOOOOooooo

The next morning Dean strolled out of the bathroom ready to hit the road. A dire need for clean clothes was forcing them to head to the laundromat. "You ready to roll Sammy?"

"Yep," was Sam's reply.

oooooOOOOooooo

While sorting his lights and darks, Sam decided it was as good a time as any to talk to his brother about Cassie. He just was't sure how to bring it up without getting Dean upset. He decided a subtle approach was best. "Hey Dean, if there's anything you want to talk about you can."

"Like what?" asked Dean.

"I don't know, anything."

Figuring out Sam must have checked the laptop, Dean decided to nip the heart to heart his brother wanted to have in the bud. "There's nothing to discuss Sammy."

Realizing subtlety was failing him, Sam tried a more direct approach. "Dean, I saw the engagement notice."

"So?"

"I know how much she meant to you. I know you loved her."

Love not loved Dean couldn't help, but think. However he kept that to himself. "She looks so happy in that picture. It's for the best."

oooooOOOOooooo

Saying he needed fresh air, Dean quickly exited the laundromat. He was not in the mood to rehash his feelings for Cassie with his brother. Noticing a card store next door, Dean headed inside and started to aimlessly roam the aisles until he somehow ended up in the wedding card section. He stared at the cards for a while before selecting a pink one with two white doves on the front. Doves were Cassie's favorite bird.

After paying for the card, Dean borrowed a pen from the cashier. Inside the card he wrote _Cassie, I am so happy for you and I hope he realizes that he's the luckiest guy in the world._

Once he was done signing and addressing the card, he dropped in the mailbox next to the entrance and headed back to rejoin his brother. It's for the best he thought.

**_The End_ **

_I hold it true, whate'er befall;  
I feel it, when I sorrow most;  
'Tis better to have loved and lost  
Than never to have loved at all._

Alfred Lord Tennyson

**A/N: **Thank you so much for reading. Please take a moment to let me know what you think. Reviews are always greatly appreciated.


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